Suicide rates for male Iraq and Afghanistan-era vets were higher than they have ever in 2006, according to a report by Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA records show that veterans age 18 to 29 who use VA services committed suicide at more than twice the rate than a comparable group who are not veterans. The rates are 46 suicides per 100,000 people and 20 suicides per 100,000 people respectively.
See http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2008/09/gns_vetsuicide_090808/ for more information.

From the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
“The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has founded a national suicide prevention hotline to ensure veterans in emotional crisis have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. To operate the Veterans Hotline, the VA partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can call the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and press “1″ to be routed to the Veterans Hotline.”
More information at: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/

Phillip Leveque a WWII Combat Infantryman, Physician Pharmacologist and Toxicologist, speaks his mind in “Veteran Suicide Epidemic: The Shame of America”.
Read the article at: Salem-News.com